music for cambrian animals !! naraoia
hiiii naraoia time !!!
these flat critters were about 2 to 4.5 cm long (0.78 to 1.77 in), and initially they were thought to be trilobites. however today we know that they belonged to a different group despite their very similar appearance.
a distinctive feature of these little arthropods is that they lacked eyes, and since the rigidity of its appendages would only allow for limited periods of swimming, all naraoiids were probably marine bottom dwellers that sensed their environment using their antennae.
also, sediments present in their guts suggest that they may have been deposit feeders, eating large amounts of soil kinda like an earthworm.
the name "naraoia" comes from the Narao Lakes near Kicking Horse Pass in Yoho Park, British Columbia.
you thought that was it? no, we already have names that literally mean "weird shrimp" and "holy shrimp". this doesn't end here, because in the Stoney language "narao" literally means "hit in the stomach", which likely refers to a dude who was kicked by a horse while traveling up the Kicking Horse River in 1858 (the dude was James Hector, a geologist and naturalist).
cambrian etymology is the funniest thing ever i swear😭
anyway, this one is more of a short piece but i love how it turned out. i feel like it has that videogame adventure feel, like you would hear it in the background while exploring some natural puzzling place :]
i hope u like both the music and the animal on itself.
see ya soon, and happy new year🌄💚🌌
